Lawrence crime, fire, courts coverage

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Two people were injured in a home invasion this afternoon when intruders with guns forced their way into a Lawrence residence, according to police.

Lawrence police were called to a home in the 700 block of New Jersey Street about 2:15 p.m. today, where four residents reported that a group of four armed men had barged into the home and demanded cash, said Sgt. Trent McKinley, a Lawrence Police Department spokesman.

The victims, who McKinley said appeared to be in their late teens or early 20s, had answered a knock at the door and were confronted with four young men with semi-automatic handguns. At least one of the gunmen struck two of the victims with a firearm when his demands for cash were not met.

McKinley said it appeared that the robbers fled the residence after failing to obtain the money they demanded, but did steal the victims' phones, which delayed a call to police.

None of the victims appeared to require immediate medical attention, McKinley said.

Investigators are still working at the scene of the crime and are interviewing witnesses. Police believe the suspects included three white males and one black male, McKinley said, but they are still developing more specific descriptions.